LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. -- Officials are investigating more than a dozen cases of Loudoun County students abusing the anti-anxiety prescription medication, Xanax.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said all 13 cases occurred during school hours in the month of April.
Last Friday, deputies say seven students at River Bend Middle School in Loudoun County were caught sharing drinks mixed with the drug. They are still investigating whether all students knowingly ingested the Xanax.
On the same say, two students at Potomac Falls High School were allegedly drinking water mixed with Xanax. The Sheriff's Office is investigating if the cases are related.
Earlier this month, four other students at River Bend were reportedly abusing the drug during school hours.
Deputies tell WUSA9 that students are crushing up the Xanax, putting it in eye drop containers and then releasing the Xanax into water bottles.
They went on to say that the students are using the highly addictive drug to get high. Officials believe the rise in cases have come due to the accessibility of the drug.
